Level 23

Like I said, each one is going to miss something. No one can deny that fact. So going through a lot of effort to analyze and pick-and-choose "What is best second-opinion AV ?" is not going to add much to overall security. The difference between one and the other might be, perhaps, 1/100, at best.

Which is why I gave 2 choices to choose. I made sure not to insert the word "best" here in the thread. It's mere choice.

The big question is what makes you feel more safe? If the first misses something by off-chance, then the second will come to your rescue. Having more than 3 (antivirus + second opinion scanner + third opinion scanner) is being paranoid.

509322

You hit the nail right on the head. It's all about "feeling" safe. The whole goal is to have more comfortable emotions and lessen mental discomfort. One thing I know with absolute certainty is that feelings and psychology will get you infected every time. It's not about security really. It's about people having the need to feel secure and wanting to have that need fulfilled. That's more important than actually being secure.

"I feel insecure... so I will throw 10,000,000 filters and signatures at it. Ah... now I feel safe."

Level 13

You hit the nail right on the head. It's all about "feeling" safe. The whole goal is to have more comfortable emotions and lessen mental discomfort. One thing I know with absolute certainty is that feelings and psychology will get you infected every time. It's not about security really. It's about people having the need to feel secure and wanting to have that need fulfilled. That's more important than actually being secure.

"I feel insecure... so I will throw 10,000,000 filters and signatures at it. Ah... now I feel safe."

This a very good point and I have been thinking about this point very recently. You can have the "best" security program out there (hypothetically speaking), but if you still don't feel safe/secure, it doesn't matter, even if it's the "perfect" product. I realize it's why we see the multiple real-time programs and the many extensions (I am not arguing the merits or saying you shouldn't do this) on the various security setups out there because the psychology of more = better is very prevalent. It's because people don't feel secure/safe unless they add all these things to their setup.

In saying this I do think over time people's psychology does change with time as they gain more knowledge and experience. For the longest time I would have NEVER considered using WD, but as time went on I gained knowledge and experience (along with WD improving, but I'm not discussing that here, just speaking generally), I eventually became comfortable using it and feeling safe Knowledge is a very powerful tool, IMO it develops the individual's psychology one way or another.

There is no substitute for knowledge and experience. They are more valuable than any security soft.

Some will claim "That's what we do in these 'What's best AV ?' threads... gain knowledge." I look at what is done in these threads and it really is not about gaining security knowledge. It is security theater, about playing with softs, about defending one's turf. Not to mention that there's a whole lot of security soft and forum addiction in there too. And a smattering of Tinfoil Hat Movement activity.

However, the entire phenomena is quite the hypern00b stuff... thinking that one can strategically pick-and-choose their way to the ultimate impenetrable IT fortress security. It's an obsession of all the permutations and testings to figure out "What is best AV ?" and then use it. It's an obsession based upon the false assumption that there is a "magic bullet"configuration to be had some way, some how, and one can find it. Thinking there is always something better to be had. Always doubting and operating on the basis of fear. Never satisfied. That... is twisted psychology. That is wholly a user\personal problem.

Once people get tired of dealing with problems, that's when they begin to change. When people get tired of expending so much effort, that's a when they really begin to change.

I get trying to craft the best security configuration that you can. But people adhere to highly questionable points of view and practices.

Level 34

Feeling safe can actually be about knowing and trusting the software you have while relying on experience/knowledge to be the true security. Quite simple really. I keep Zemana and MBAM around, but I know something about their strengths and limitations.

Most of the people in the world are happy clickers like my wife and I like to believe that percentage is over 70. The "Share me or you will have bad luck" e-mail messages still works like a charm in this day and age. You can try to teach them to learn safe habits, but more often than not it's not going to work. Then it's up-to these software's to help them. Install and forget solutions are the best ones for the general public, anti-exe's are good for only a special few, trust me most people doesn't know how to white-list etc etc. I like to think that I'm a fairly knowledgeable computer user but not a geek and still many around me call me a "techie" which I don't deserve, and I still refuse to use an anti-exe just for the sake of better usability. I remember that the first time I registered here was to ask/look for help after being infected, now I find myself helping others in need.

Major problems in the world of average users aren't viruses or malware, but adware a.k.a potentially unwanted programs. Toolbars, pop-up ads, bundled software's etc, I can see that on my wife's laptop from time to time. A common antivirus can catch most of the malware/viruses no matter how good they are. But the nuisances that are adware/spyware is what the average users must be shielded from. Hence the need for second opinion scanner and the subjective reason for this thread.

To give a more objective reason to the thread, I specifically asked to state the Pro and Con of the software's they use as a thread starter, so this will help make a better decision for anyone stumbling on this thread. There is no word as in "Best" in this thread, it's all about choice and comparison.

Level 24

Feeling safe can actually be about knowing and trusting the software you have while relying on experience/knowledge to be the true security. Quite simple really. I keep Zemana and MBAM around, but I know something about their strengths and limitations.

Level 28

There's a misconception that we use today and it's not like that.
years ago the antivirus did not bring antimalware or antispies so it was necessary to have an antispyware. but it seems that still persists in having something more than an AV. But today if the antivirus already have integrated anti-malware and antispyware.

Level 43

since I just disinfected some PCs, I could see the ineffectiveness of EEK. I performed my disinfection following what I wrote above. HMP usually found nothing after using zemana
I will disinfect another one today

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